Do You Want To Know A Secret?
by Aaryonar
Summary: WARNING: SPOILERS from Manga Chapter 629 / Naruto Shippuden Episode 345 Before the time skip: When a traitor steals sensitive intelligence from the Leaf, Kakashi is sent to stop them. But how far will he go to protect the village's secrets when the missing-nin is Rin's sister? (Includes Fanon Character Nohara Mai)


At sunset I knelt in front of the grave of Nohara Rin: the first girl I'd ever loved. It was the twelfth anniversary of her death. Although, I didn't need the tombstone to remind me. I'd been there. In fact, I'd killed her.

I'd killed her because she'd asked me to, because we were Ninja of the Leaf Village, and because it would protect a secret. A secret so dangerous it would start a war our people could not win. I'd killed her, and in doing so I'd betrayed my promise to Obito.

My sight blurred and I blinked away tears.

Wind swept the cemetery.

I felt a chill slide up my spine.

A long forgotten voice whispered, "Hello, Hatake-kun."

My heart leapt to my throat, but I managed to conceal my surprise. I glanced back up over my shoulder.

A woman stood over me. She was of average height and slight of build. She wore a grey flak jacket and metal armguards over black clothing. A porcelain mask shaped like a bulldog concealed her face.

I blinked. "Nohara-chan?"

She nodded.

Nohara Mai; Rin's younger sister. I smiled beneath the cloth mask that covered the bottom half of my face. "For a moment, I thought you were Rin."

Her uniform was as recognizable as the name: Ansatsu Senjutsu Toushu Butai - ANBU. Mai was a member - in fact, a team captain, but the ANBU don't have formal ranks - of the elite special operations group that handled the most dangerous and ruthless missions in the village. She leaned away from me with her chest pressed forward and her hands behind her back. "I'm sure it makes her happy that you're visiting her today. But I think she'd be even more happy if you weren't," a thin layer of ice coated the last word, "late."

"Sorry," I coughed. "I was... in a coma."

She shifted uncomfortably, "I heard about that. Itachi, right?"

A sudden wave of panic crashed over me. I struggled to control it and the rapid flood of memories.

Mai's voice grew worried, "Are you okay?"

I felt light-headed and I reached down to steady myself. My mind raced to think of anything other than Itachi's nightmare. The one he forced me to relive, over and over again, with his Tsukuyomi.

She placed her hand on my shoulder.

I forced myself deeper under the memories of the nightmare. I touched a place of pain more abundant and agonizing than anything Itachi had done to me.

The smile on Rin's face as my Chidori pierced her heart.

I felt all the air escape me and my chest became heavy. I couldn't breath! The pain was all consuming.

Mai knelt and set a candle beside Rin's grave. "Let me show you something…"

I have a hard time believing what happened next. I wouldn't have thought it possible, except that I was there. I know what I saw. It was the most casual display of ninjutsu mastery I'd ever witnessed.

In one smooth - effortless - motion she leaned over the unlit candle, lifted her mask with one hand, formed a Tiger seal with the other, and performed a Fire Release so measured and so controlled it looked like a crimson sewing thread. The flame wound several times around the wick and then down along the naked wax. It hung in a tangle over the candle and then vanished.

My panic, the memory of Itachi's nightmare, and Rin's smile all vanished with it.

The Fire Release jutsu left a melted ANBU symbol in the wax, and set the wick aflame.

I took a deep breath, relaxed my shoulders, and gasped, "Thank you."

She flashed a sad smile before replacing her mask.

While Mai was momentarily distracted, I stole the opportunity to stand up, and take a short step away from the woman. Not that I didn't like her, you understand. It's just not a good idea to be within arms reach of an ANBU assassin.

"They tell stories about you," she said.

I took another deep breath, steadying my feet. "Is that so?"

She reached out, absentmindedly adjusted the candle by rotating the ANBU symbol toward me. "Yeah, you're something of a legend."

"That was a long time ago."

"Not really."

"Half a lifetime, and we were at war."

"We - are - at war. Does Orochimaru's attack ring any bells?" She stood, squared her shoulders to me and crossed her arms under her chest. "The Third is dead. Two S-level missing-nins from rival villages casually strolled into Konoha and put you in the hospital. The new Hokage hasn't been here a month and already things are falling apart!"

I raised my hands in a placating gesture, "I'm sure Tsunade-sama will be a great Hokage."

She lowered her face, casting a shadow over the bulldog mask. "We'll see."

I stared at her and then took another slow step back.

"We aren't finished, yet," she growled.

I froze. "Nohara-chan- "

"We need you back, Kakashi."

I felt a flush of warmth in my cheeks. A mix of embarrassment at her rude disregard for honorifics and anger at the implication of intimacy when I knew damn well she was with Genma. Although I didn't particularly care for the man I bristled with offense on his behalf.

There was one other reason…

She sounded just like Rin, "You shouldn't call me that."

Mai shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry."

I sighed, "Look, the answer's no. I'm busy."

"With what? You don't have any Genin to train."

She was right about that. Sakura and Naruto were being trained by Sannin… and Sasuke…

Mai's hand grabbed my flak jacket.

I blinked at her in surprise. She'd crossed into my guard and I hadn't noticed. No warning - nothing.

"I know what you're going through," she whispered.

I gulped. "You do?"

She tilted back her head to look up at me. The top of her head reached just under my chin. "You've lost so much."

I searched the shadowed eye slits of her mask.

Her grip tightened. "We both have."

I felt a sudden frustration in me that I hadn't noticed was there before. "What about Shiranui-san?"

She lowered her head to my chest.

"What would he think if he saw you right now?"

She hesitated.

It lasted only a moment, but I noticed it.

"I don't care," she whispered.

I felt a sense of dread settle in my stomach. I gently lifted her chin up and smiled sadly beneath my cloth mask. "I don't believe you."

She let go of my flak jacket, turned, and walked a few steps away.

"What are you - really - after?"

She stood completely still like a deer preparing to run away. Then she removed the porcelain mask.

Wind tugged at her long brown hair.

"It's been twelve years," she said. "I have to know…"

"Know, what?"

She turned to me, tears stained her face. "The truth."

Her words cut like a kunai. The subjective years I spent being tortured in Itachi's nightmare could never reach the agony of those two words coming from Mai's lips.

"How did my sister die?"

I clenched my teeth. My eyes, both mine and Obito's Sharingan, itched madly.

The wind whipped Mai's hair across her lovely face.

She looked just like Rin.

"The file is sealed," Mai said. "I've climbed as high as I can. I've done everything the village asked of me."

"Nohara-chan…"

Her voice cracked, "Everything."

"Tsunade-sama refused your request." It wasn't a question.

She nodded. "The only thing I know for certain, is who wrote the file."

I turned to Rin's grave. The last puzzle piece fell into place.

"You did," Mai said.

"If I rejoin ANBU…"

"Then the file re-opens."

I stared into her brown teary eyes, fighting back my own pressing need to cry. "I can't."

"Then tell me what happened!"

I shook my head.

"Why not?"

"It's complicated."

She laughed bitterly. "That's what Tsunade-sama said, and the Third before her. That's what everyone's told me, except the Fourth." She wiped the tears away with the palm of her hand, "And he's gone."

"Nohara-chan, I-"

"Shut up!" She screamed. "You, when I learned you were the one. The one who wrote the file, I… I just knew you'd tell me."

I looked up and met her gaze.

"Rin would want you to tell me."

I shut my eyes and bowed my head. I knew she was right.

"So, not even for her?"

"I can't."

I heard her turn to leave.

"Let it go, Nohara-chan."

Her footsteps stopped. "I can't" she said.

When I looked up again, she was gone.


End file.
